Review 1 July 2024
LatestTe Ara Huarau | School Profile Report
Background
This Profile Report was written within six months of the Education Review Office and Kotemaori School working in Te Ara Huarau, an improvement evaluation approach used in most English Medium State and State Integrated Schools. For more information about Te Ara Huarau see ERO’s website. www.ero.govt.nz
Context
Kotemaori School is Years 0 to 8 school, north of Napier. The school was affected by Cyclone Gabrielle and is temporarily located at Putorino School. The school expects to be back on site, in new premises, by the end of 2024. A new principal was appointed at the beginning of the 2024 school year. Prior to this the school was led by a long-term relieving principal.
Kotemaori School’s strategic priorities for improving outcomes for learners are:
- teachers empowering students to take ownership of their learning
- enabling students to learn and create in a technological world
- empowering students to take care of the world around them.
You can find a copy of the school’s strategic and annual plan at the current location of Kotemaori School.
ERO and the school are working together to evaluate the extent to which curriculum development and assessment practices improve student engagement, progress and achievement.
The rationale for selecting this evaluation is:
- the significant disruption to ongoing learning through management changes and weather events
- the need to establish accurate, usable baseline data to clearly identify the learning needs of individual students and respond accordingly
- systems for sustainable practice, such as looking at school effectiveness, need establishing.
The school expects to see:
- student progress and achievement known and reported to the board and community
- a localised curriculum in place that is embedded and well documented, so that changes in management do not adversely affect teaching and learning
- the gathering and use of relevant, standardised assessment information to inform teaching that responds to learner needs and strengths
- regular attendance levels improved to meet the Ministry of Education’s targets for each child attending 90% of the time
- developing parent partnerships for learning and community consultation about the school’s direction.
Strengths
The school can draw from the following strengths to support its goal to have a relevant curriculum and assessment practices that support student engagement, progress and achievement:
- student-focused leadership that gives priority to establishing key school conditions for improvement
- networking by principal to address improvement actions in a timely way; this includes with the board, neighbouring schools and advisers
- relationships between staff and with children are positive and continuing to grow.
Where to next?
Moving forward, the school will prioritise:
- building on the initial work of the incoming principal to get to know students’ learning needs and to have sustainable assessment systems and practices
- providing clear guidance for teaching and learning through a well-documented curriculum to have continuity of learning for students and identify teacher needs for growth and direction
- using data to inform the school’s strategic direction, goals and annual priorities
- working with whānau and the school’s community, so that they are part of decision making and addressing school improvement priorities for optimum conditions for learners.
ERO’s role will be to support the school in its evaluation for improvement cycle to improve outcomes for all learners. ERO will support the school in reporting their progress to the community. The next public report on ERO’s website will be a Te Ara Huarau | School Evaluation Report and is due within three years.
Shelley Booysen
Director of Schools
1 July 2024
About the School
The Education Counts website provides further information about the school’s student population, student engagement and student achievement. educationcounts.govt.nz/home